Janelle Irwin Taylor
Republican State Rep. Jackie Toledo wasn’t on last year’s list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, but she landed herself in the elite class after she led the charge for one of Florida’s biggest wins.
For years, lawmakers have tried and failed to pass a law that made texting while driving a primary offense. Toledo sponsored a bill (HB 107) this year that finally crossed the finish line. Toledo’s work on the bill showed her political power.
“Rep. Toledo is an energetic leader,” said Southern Strategy Group lobbyist and former state lawmaker Seth McKeel. “She’s quickly proven to be a strong, effective voice for our region in the Florida House.”
As with previous efforts, the attempt to make texting while driving a primary ticketable offense in Florida hit walls in the hyper-conservative House. Questions quickly surfaced about privacy rights, potential racial profiling and whether or not the bill would give police officers too much authority to pull drivers over on a whim.
Toledo, along with other bill sponsors including Trilby Sen. Wilton Simpson and South Florida Rep. Emily Slosberg, expertly and strategically ushered the bill through committee meetings and worked to address concerns through a series of amendments that included protections against racial profiling and limited the bill to only texting, not talking on the phone or checking a GPS.
Her efforts returned a 108-7 vote in the House.
Toledo was also instrumental in securing $12.4 million to complete the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute in downtown Tampa. The $172 million 13-story facility is already under construction. Without the funding, USF might have faced delays in finishing the project by its expected completion date later this year.
Toledo was first elected in 2016 and was immediately put into a leadership role as the House Majority Deputy Whip, a position she held until last year.
“One of Tampa Bay’s only Republican Latina elected officials, Toledo is one of the most energetic, passionate and enthusiastic promoters of Tampa Bay,” said Republican strategist Anthony Pedicini. “She’s proven she won’t be outworked whether it’s in the halls of government or on the streets of her district. While expanding her political profile, Toledo also manages being a mother to four pre-teens; yet she still manages to tirelessly fight for the issues her constituents care about.”
But Toledo’s road hasn’t been easy. She narrowly lost a Tampa City Council bid against Guido Maniscalco in 2015. Many, including Toledo, blamed the loss on third-party attack ads that became the center of attention in the race.
Toledo learned from that campaign and ran a clean race in 2016 against Democrat David Singer, ignoring the mudslinging ads and campaign mail attempting to tie Toledo to the policies of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. She wound up easily winning the conservative Tampa House District 60 with 57 percent of the vote.
Now, Toledo appears secure in her position in the Florida Legislature as she faces a third term in 2020. Toledo recently debunked rumors that she was planning to leave the legislature to run for Hillsborough County Commission saying she had no intention to leave her lawmaking days.
Joe Henderson’s take: She had a solid year in the Florida House. Her signature achievement was helping push through a long-overdue bill to make texting while driving a primary offense.
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